Life After the End of the World
by Avirra
Summary: Futuristic X-Men Universe What If tale, narrated by Victor Creed aka Sabretooth
1. Chapter 1

Okay.... roll call. Lessee..... Adimu? Where's Kamau? Son....get down outta that tree. you know th' rules fer after sunset. Charlie, Jean, Moira, Doug an' Sue... that's all you pups but th' newborns, right? Good, siddown an' eat.

Huh? Naw, we ain't waitin' on th' others. Don't get sassy - yer Ma's gettin' some well-earned rest while yer Pa's gettin' acquainted with th' new ones. Eat.

What's that, Adimu? A story? What sorta story? Oh.... well, yeh. I guess I can tell ya that one. You sure you wanna hear it? I don't put a gloss on things an' it ain't onna those pretty stories. Alright then - where t' start?

Naw.... me an' yer Ma didn't 'xactly have that 'love at first sight' thing goin' on. To be honest, kitten, we didn't even have like at first sight. Or second or third sight fer that matter.

Why not? Well, them fairy tales Drake likes t' tell may not lead ya t' believe it, but very few folks do that 'love at first sight' thing. Any way, back when we first met, me an' 'Ro weren't even on th' same side in fights. Did we ever fight each other? Yeh.... huh? Well, I guess we came out about even. I mean, I got in my share o' licks, but so did she. We're both still around, ain't we? That part ain't so important no more.

What sides were there? Well, there were all kinda sides back in them days, kids. Ol' Xavier, he wanted equal co-existance.... mutants an' humans workin' side-by-side. Magneto wanted mutants as th' rulers with humans bein' second class citizens... or less. Then there were mutant an' human radicals that each wanted th' other side wiped out totally or enslaved. Most folks? Well, I'd guess that most folks weren't on any side really -- they flat out didn't care 'bout things 'less it directly affected them.

'Ro? Well, she was on th' side fer co-existance. I never could believe in that stuff back then myself. Yeh, we got _some_ things in common with humans, but house cats got things in common with lions too. Don't see them livin' t'gether in peace an' harmony neither, do ya? Not that I'm gonna knock folks that wanted t' try it. I don't think o' things now quite th' same as I did then, but even back then, I hadda admit it took balls t' stand up fer peace when some yahoos were tryin' t' kill you. Any way, it was a nice thought. What was that? Yep... you got that right, Charlie. Nice an' practical don't go hand-in-hand much.

In a lotta ways, the details don't matter. You just need t' know that back then, I had a whole lotta hate goin' on. Against humans. Against authority. Even against other mutants. I'd find temporary fixes here an' there that'd allow me t' think straight, but they never lasted. At least not until that day that one human group went way too far. Helluva thing fer a man t' have t' be grateful for.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part II**

Swallow 'fore you talk, Moira - I might even be able t' make out what th' hell yer sayin' that way. Why am I grateful fer what that bunch did? Long story, but I'll see if I can make it short enough not t' interfere with yer bedtime.

Lessee, quite a few years have passed since then, but as I recall, me, th' day started like another heapin' shovelful o' manure bein' dumped onto th' pile.

Th' X-ers had managed t' corral me again an' ol' Charley X had decided he was gonna get into my core an' either straighten me out or figure a way t' put me down. Th' way it came down.... well, I guess it was what he was after, but I bet he'd never chosen th' way it happened.

Lemme set it up fer ya so's ya know where all th' chess pieces were 'fore some idiot kicked over th' board. Me, yer not-so-friendly neighborhood Sabretooth, I was in a set o' restraints that were heavy as shit. Runt was off t' the side, mutterin' t' himself with Storm alongside. Xavier was right in front o' me with little redheaded Jean an' bleached blonde Emma just behind an' to his sides. I suppose th' two gals were feedin' power t' Xavier while he was burrowin' through th' red mists that filled my head back then. Beast an' Cyclops were in th' area as well, but not in my line o' sight. Jus' knew they were there 'cause I could smell 'em. An' hear Beast talkin'. Man never shuts up. Bet he even talks in his sleep. Yeh, I know - gettin' off track. Now where was I?

Obviously, there was no warnin' an' none o' us knew 'xactly what was goin' on at th' time. We had t' piece it t'gether as best we could after th' dust settled. One minute I'm fightin' against th' uninvited mind intrusion - next minute, everything went..... on fire. No.. hotter than fire. How would I know? Listen, pups - I've been burned up, blown up, kicked outta th' occasional airplane, run over, half-drowned an' froze. None o' that even came close t' th' pure intensity o' pain that swept me away in a blindin' excruciatin' extasy. Only thing I could even start t' compare it to was th' Glow that lil' Birdy used t' give me. Huh? No, that'll be a story fer another day.

But back t' what I was sayin' - this? This was as far past th' Glow as the sun is past a candle.

Runt says he'll never figure how I managed it, but apparently that fire kicked my adrenaline into extra-high gear.... I snapped outta those restraints like they were tissue-paper, but not 'cause I was tryin' t' do it. It was all a knee-jerk reaction. I wasn't even aware o' anything beyond th' purity o' th' pain. I ain't a philosopher or nothin', but only thing I can compare it to is a crucible. My brain.... hell, everythin' that makes me into me.... heated... melted. Purified.

I woke slow. I felt like - well, t' be truthful? Ain't a single other thing in my life I could even vaguely compare it to. But I felt ... this sounds stupid, I know, but I felt **new**. Like a snake that sloughed off an old, dead dull skin. An' I woke t' th' sounds o' mournin'.

We had been underground, so we'd been spared t' worst o' it. Best we could find out, some terrorists hacked their way into a security computer somewhere in Asia... mebbe Russia. Doesn't really matter. All ended up th' same. They made th' nukes launch - other nukes went off in retaliation. Well, don't take a genius t' know how that ended. Death on a global scale.

What had hit me was what had hit th' trio workin' on me. Death. Not of one, a hundred or even a paltry million. Billions. Jean an' Xavier were dead from brain hemmorages 'fore I woke. Frost must've felt somethin' goin' wrong - she somehow shut herself off. Comatose, but alive. Which is more'n you could say 'bout most o' th' telepaths in th' world. Telepaths weren't plentiful t' start with, but after th' bombs, less'n one percent remained. I believe they told me th' number world-wide was seventeen - that's known folks though. No telling how many others there may or may not be. An' those seventeen were divided into three bunches. Four, includin' Frost, were in comas. Three were made flat out insane. Remainder were operatin' at bare minimums due t' trauma. Bruised brains, I guess.

Anyways... back t' th' story. I woke an' th' first thing I see is Storm, cradlin' Xavier's bloody head in her lap an' cryin' like a kid with Beast practically howlin' as he's tryin' his best t' hold 'em both. Logan an' Cyclops looked t' be runnin' on automatic... jus' doin', not thinkin'. Logan had apparently just laid Grey's body down, then I heard Cyclops yell out fer Beast tellin' him that Emma wasn't dead. That got Beast t' jump up quick an' th' two o' them hustled Frost outta there.

Fer a minute, nobody noticed I was awake. Then I started movin' an' Logan snapped around.. an' then? He just stared at me.

Why? Well, you see, he felt it, smelled it - th' difference in me. So did I. All those years. All those fights. Two o' us hatin' each other's guts an' never really one hundred percent sure why. It was th' crazies that I had.... it had given me a scent not unlike a rabid animal gives off. Packs'll attack an' drive off or kill sick animals t' keep th' sickness from spreadin'. But now? That scent was gone from me an' we were both more'n a little confused about th' change.

Cyclops came back in lookin' more rattled than I'd ever seen him look - shook enough that it didn't even dawn on him yet that I was loose an' standin'. Then he started talkin' in a steady monotone an' we all knew why he was shook.

World-wide power-outages. Countless bombs goin' off. A death toll so big that likely th' total number of dead'll never be known. Entire cities wiped off th' map along with a few countries. Every capital o' any note? Pancake. World leadership? Well, th' UN got flattened too, if that gives ya a clue. Which it might not - guess it depends if you were payin' attention when Beast was tryin' t' teach you History.

Any ways? Things started goin' south fast. After findin' himself in th' odd position o' vouchin' fer me, Logan an' I teamed up t' help defend th' mansion grounds from the scavenger gangs that seemed t' erupt within hours. Mansion had its own generators an' other things they coveted. Between me, Storm an' Logan though? They soon decided t' look elsewhere.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part III**

_I pause talkin' as I notice Adimu's bright eyes are on me. China blue cat eyes. I just open my arms t' her an' she bounds over with th' boneless grace that seems t' come so naturally t' her. That's my girl. Shock o' hair that's more cream white than her mama's milk white, but it looks good on her. Her an' Kamau both got a nice golden brown tone o' skin. Wonder what th' kitten she's carryin' now will look like?_

_Settlin' Adimu into my lap, then lookin' over th' others. 'Bout half o' 'em are already asleep, other half are lookin' drowsy. Figure a bit more story will get th' rest o' 'em t' sleep, so I continue on._

First year passed fer us all like a blur. We were so busy defendin' an' findin' strays an' tryin' t' keep everyone fed that th' time flew. Cyclops was in leader-mode mosta th' time - more like a robot with legs than a man though. Blackbird was still flyin' an' he made use o' it t' rescue any allies we had that were still livin'.

It was odd really. Some o' th' folks that made it, you woulda expected. Like me, Runt an' the Thing? We're all harder t' kill than cockroaches - woulda been stranger if we hadn't made it. Others though? Well, only two o' the Fantastic Four made it t' year's end - Thing an' Richards.

Other hero groups? Hawkeye's one o' th' few o' that Avengers bunch that I know made it. Heard rumors that others might have survived, but hell, some folks are still seein' Elvis. Who's Elvis? I'll explain that one later - right now, I'd be gettin' real far off track. Anyway, Richards gave it a rough guess that th' world population was only around ten percent o' what it had been. Good a guess as any, I suppose. Not like anybody was gonna run around an' do a head count.

Frost came back t' life after over six months in a coma -- which also brought a spark o' life back into Summers. By th' end o' th' first year, we had around a hundred or so survivors an' it was becomin' painfully obvious that th' mansion couldn't keep supportin' everyone. Especially as nature was startin' t' nudge things along. We had a long talk an' in th' end, we divided into roughly two camps. Summers, Frost and Grimm were th' main leaders o' th' group that was t' stay with th' mansion along with other folks that preferred t' stay in a more urban settin' - Spider-Man, Punisher (yeh, he made it too - ain't that a hoot?) an' Elektra among 'em. One good thing 'bout that mix? We knew that even with us leavin', th' others had protectors an' providers.

As fer me? Well, me an' th Runt headed toward th' wilds that straddle what used t' be the US/Canadian border. Our group had Ororo, McCoy, Rahne and Drake among others. It was decided pretty quick among ourselves t' split into two camps - which almost immediately got labeled as my pride an' Logan's pack. Hell, good a tags as any, I suppose. Pride was fittin' in more ways than one, 'cause by then I had my lioness. Ororo. Lemme tell ya, they used t' say politics make strange bedfellows, but that ain'tgot squat on th' changes a buncha nuclear warheads can make. Beast became th' resident egghead o' the Pack, Richards fit real nice into th' Pride.... another fit that shocked th' hell outta me. I can't understand most o' what Richards says, but he's proved himself time an' again t' be mighty handy an' he more than pulls his own weight. Can't ask more'n that from anyone. Hell, man even set up a lil' brewery. Makes a damn fine lager.

Why didn't me an' yer Uncle Logan stick in th' same group? Well, me an' my kid brother get along pretty well these days, but we get along a whole lot better when we got us a little space between us. Just natural, kitten. Packs and prides got one thing in common. There's really only comfortable rule fer one alpha male.

An' I suppose some folks mighta expected th' leadership positions t' have gone t' the genius pair, but me an' Runt were more practical. We knew how t' build. How t' hunt. How t' survive. An' more than that - how t' thrive in th' wilderness. An' lemme tell you somethin', once Mother Nature caught her breath after th' big booms? She went nuts. 'Course, I gotta admit my own little mate had a hand in urgin' things along here an' there along with a few other nature based folks like Shaman. I know what you older ones are wonderin'. Why ain't everythin' a radioactive wasteland?

Much as I dislike 'em on general principles, I gotta admit th' bell, book an' candle set really came through in this emergency - in some cases, at a huge cost t' themselves... or so I heard. Not sure 'xactly what they altered all that radioactive junk into, but all I know is that when th' rains came after, it was like a high-powered fertilizer had been added t' the soil. Next spring, berries an' flowers were so abundant that bird an' other small animals hit a population boom as well. Which was a damn good thing. Lotta folks that survived most o' th' first year died over th' winter months. Some from illness or old injuries catchin' up t' 'em. Others from exposure. Mostly though, it'd been starvation. Not somethin' th' folks hangin' with me an' Logan had t' worry with, o' course. We kept our folks well fed an' warm.

_I hear an' smell him comin' 'fore I see him. Cigar smoke. He must be pleased at his new litter._

Give yer voice a rest, Vic. Ain't any point continuin' th' oral history. My pups an' yer cubs have gone t' sleep now. 'Sides, they're still too little t' understand half o' what yer sayin' anyways.

Yeh, I know they are. Makes as good a bedtime story as any though, don't it? Toss another chunk o' wood on th' fire, Jimmy. Nice night out - we might as well as sleep wiht th' youngsters under th' stars.

What about th' ladies?

What about 'em? I think they both made it pretty plain that while me an' you are good at makin' youngsters, we're 'bout as useful as a snake in a piano factory when it comes t' newborns. 'Sides, they need us, we can hear 'em from here. Even with takin' time t' gather th' kids, wouldn't take two minutes t' reach 'em, so settle down. Body'd think this was yer first.

Yeh, yeh.... just... I caught a scent earlier. Nuthin' definate, but...

_His growl gets my attention. Jimmy's not really th' paranoid sort, so I take him bein' that uneasy real seriously._

'Ro's ready t' deliver 'bout any day herself. I don't want t' get too far from th' den until after th' kitten comes, but if I'll ask her in th' mornin'. If she don't think th' kitten will come for another day or two, me an' you will do a perimeter sweep. We need t' take down a good sized buck t' refill our meat stores any way, so might as well kill two birds with one stone.

_Me takin' his concerns seriously calms Jimmy down an' he takes care o' th' fire as I ease Adimu down next t' me without wakin' her. I can tell there's somethin' else on his mind, so I just watch him an' wait. He finally looks back t' me._

We've got a pretty sizable area claimed between us. Think Summers an' his pack'll ever take up th' invitation t' join us?

Mebbe. They gotta all be gettin' tired o' livin' with th' constant attacks. Wears a body down even if they're used t' it. There's a reason their group's th' only one without any new blood - an' you know Summers an' Frost've been tryin'. Mebbe one o' us needs t' go make th' invitation in person. With a youngster. Kid'll point out th' real advantage o' joinin' us more'n anything we could say.

Yer brain might not work all that often, but when it does, you can occassionally come up with a good thought.

Aw, shuttup an' get some sleep, lil' brother. An' try not t' outsnore yer pups.


	4. Chapter 4

**Part IV**

_Mornin' fer us comes sooner than it does fer most, I suppose. Sky's not even startin' t' get grey when I meet Jimmy at an old tree that's where our territories touch. I don't have t' call, he's already waitin' for me. With him havin' two new cubs in his den, him bein' willin' t' leave 'em alone shows just how bad his instincts are screamin' at him._

'Ro's plannin' on goin' over an' takin' Rahne some food later. Let's get this show on th' road - don't care t' be gone longer'n we have t'. Where do we start? Thought that was pretty obvious - we start on th' outskirts o' yer territory, Jimmy. Somethin's got yer fur up, so I'm bettin' that means whatever it is is closer t' yer turf than mine. 'Specially since I ain't got those same feelin's yet.

_Not hangin' around t' discuss this t' death - just takin' off in th' direction o' th' far edge o' Jimmy's territory. I hear a grumble, but no argument an' he's keepin' up. I'm not goin' full out, after all, Runt's legs are shorter'n mine, plus that metal attached t' his frame cuts into his speed from what I remember it bein' before. He's still pretty quick, but he'll never have th' speed he used t' have back when he could outsprint me over short stretches._

_Then I slow - not exactly puttin' on full brakes, but I go down t' half th' speed I was movin' at. Haven't seen nuthin'... haven't smelled nuthin', but my hackles are definately up. Runt lopes over next t' me an' gives me one o' those 'told ya so' looks. I just give him a nod an' drop into stalk mode. Me an' Jimmy know each other's moves, we can go through th' trees like ghosts. Not followin' anythin' solid. Just slowly narrowin' in on what area feels th' least right._

_We don't find anythin' actually on his territory, but on a rise just outside o' it, I catch sight o' th' problem an' wave him over. Don't have t' point. He'll see it fast enough an' I know he has when I hear th' growl._

You were spot on, Jimmy. Human settlement. Nervy bunch, comin' this far inland. You don't like it? You think I do? Question is - what do we do about it? You know what I'd prefer, but they're nearest t' yer pack. Far as I'm concerned that makes it yer call.

_He growls t' himself, circles a few times an' stares at that rough fort like starin' will make it go away. I've settled down next t' a tree t' wait him out. I won't give him past noon though. We both gotta hunt t' feed our cubs, after all. Didn't have t' worry. Only took him 'bout half an hour. I sorta expected his final decision. Him an' me are just different that way. We fight a lot less since we've accepted that instead o' tryin' t' force th' other t' see things th' same._

Well, if that's how it's gonna be, let's head on back t' our folks. Hey, I said it was yer call an' it is. You wanna ignore 'em unless they start makin' trouble? You got it. So long as they stay outta my territory. Yep - figured you'd already know that. Just didn't see any harm in spellin' it out. Com'on. Day ain't gettin' any longer an' I seem t' recall yer mate goes through a lotta red meat when she's nursin' pups.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's note: Though I plan to continue stories from this world, this will likely be the last I do in Sabretooth's voice. Time to let some of the others speak for themselves. Without further ado, the last chapter of this particular tale.

**Part V**

So.... where were you when th' end o' th' world came?

Odd sorta question, I guess. One I want answered fast though 'fore I decide just t' gut you an' put up with 'Ro fussin' at me. She'll let it pass in time. She knows how much I dislike folks pokin' around our territory.

Any ways... let's get th' burnin' question outta th' way. You onna those Purifiers? 'Fore you even think about givin' me a bullshit answer, keep this in mind. See this nose o' mine? It ain't just cute as a button -- it's a livin' lie detector. An' I get th' tiniest hint o' a lie comin' from you, I'll be addin' yer carcass t' my meat locker. Threat? Hell, boy - I don't make threats. I was statin' a fact so's you'd know where you stand. Which right now is on thin ice, so don't try my patience. Ain't got much t' spare.

Not a Purifier.... good. Good. Follow me then. I can point ya in th' direction o' th' nearest human band. It's a good two week's walk from here though an' yer too scawny t' even make a decent snack fer th' wolves. Oh yeh..... plenty o' wolves around. Naw. They know better than t' come into my territory. 'Sides, their pack leader an' me got an understandin'. If you don't prove t' be an asshole, I'll see about askin' him t' give you safe passage through his area. That'd get you most o' th' way you need t' go. They roam a sizable tract o' land.

Oh - an' don't get twitchy. I'm about t' get jumped from above, but don't you go doin' anything silly. Ain't got any..... whoops. Yeh.... that was a good pounce, Kamau. That's m'cub. Yer Ma know yer up in th' treetops again? Don't stare at th' human, boy. Makes 'em skittish. You run on ahead an' let yer Ma know we're comin'.

Huh? Well, of course he stared. Humans are pretty rare up this way. Bigger colonies are dotted around the coasts. Interior lands aren't real friendly since Mother Nature flexed her muscles ten years back.

Don't make me laugh. 'Course I know it was an idiot human that set off that series o' bombs. He meant t' wipe out everythin' though, didn't he? But all he really did was cull th' herd an' give Mother Nature elbow room again. Folks that survived aren't likely th' ones he expected t'. Or wanted t'. Not, of course, that we give a shit 'bout his druthers.

Spit out a name. I'm gonna be introducin' you t' my mate an' you ain't gonna be rude or we're right back t' that guttin' stage I referenced earlier. Warren? Well, I won't hold that against you.

Adimu... jus' what th' hell you think yer doin', kitten? You know yer Ma don't want you this far out. Co'mere - I'll give ya a ride home.

Her looks? Pretty much looks like her Ma. All my cubs have that rich golden brown skin, but this one got her Ma's white hair. How many cubs? Nosey little bastard, aren't you, Warren?

There she is. That there is my mate, Ororo. Little one catching a snack is our youngest, Jamil. Ororo? This here is Warren, babe. He's a no-good stinking Purifier that thinks he's gonna 'sanitize' this area.

Ouch. Bet that's gonna leave a mark. Pretty impressive th' way she slammed yer punk ass into a tree with that wind gust while still breastfeedin' a cub, eh? Lions are serious about their territory. Especially th' lioness. Prides are mainly matriarchal, y'know. Males may come an' go, but it's th' gals that actually hold th' pridelands. Now let me set my little girl down an' we have us a talk. Run over t' yer Ma, Adimu. See - this is why you don't wander. Humans won't be much threat t' you once yer grown, but they're like most scavengers. Dangerous t' cubs if they wander away from their dens. You remember that, kitten.

Lemme see.... where were we, Warren? Oh yeh. I was gettin' rid o' yer weapons while you were tryin' t' suck in some air. Cracked ribs, I bet. Count yer blessin's. Yer lucky 'Ro ain't pregnant right now. She'd o' broke yer stupid neck.

Now is when we come t' an understandin', Warren. I know where you came from. That stupid little settlement that sprung up last spring. Hell yes, we've known 'bout yer bunch. Think we're stupid or just blind? We had been gonna leave yer bunch along, but guess what you just screwed up? Damn, boy - quit th' whinin' - I ain't gonna gut you. This time. Jus' gonna leave you with a memorable set o' scars. Then? Then I'm gonna drag yer scawny butt over t' Logan's territory an' let him get a good whiff o' th' scents yer carryin'. Consider yerself lucky you stumbled into my area first. His mate woulda chewed yer face off. Redheads, ya know? They got 'em a temper.

Reason yer gettin' out o' here without draggin' yer guts on th' ground behind you? Yer gonna take a message back from me an' all th' others. Interior lands belong t' us now. You humans can have th' ocean coasts, but you stray more'n twenty miles away from salt water? Yer meat on th' table. Mother Nature's replenishin' th' wilds. Animals all over have been havin' population booms. That'll level off as th' lands resettle, but those o' us that remain here are gonna make damn sure humans don't run around breedin' like damn bunnies again. So you spread th' word - you ain't top o' th' food chain now. Ain't gonna be ever again, so get used t' th' idea. Or die. Either way's perfectly acceptable t' me.

Oh... an' one other thing, Warren? Once I dump you off, if I ever catch th' slightest whiff o' you, I'll track you down an' there won't be enough left o' you fer yer people t' bury in a thimble. You tell those folks they have until th' first snow flies t' abandon that settlement an' get their asses t' th' coast. They don't listen, it's their own lifespan they're cuttin' short. An' if yer feelin' suicidal, you can even tell 'em that yer th' one t' blame. Oh, thanks by th' way. What for? Well, I promised my mate that I wouldn't make th' first move. So thanks fer makin' th' first move, Warren. Frees up my options a bunch.

Quit blubberin'. Cuts ain't even that deep. Facial ones tend t' bleed a whole lot. Just th' way folks are put t'gether. Might wanna cover yer ears now. My roar's pretty impressive if I do say so m'self.

There's th' howl. Let's go. Logan's waitin' t' escort yer scawny butt t' th' settlement. Still just mid-spring, so yer bunch has got plenty o' time t' get th' hell out.

An' there he is. See that snarlin' short guy? Evenin', Runt. Yeh - this is th' one. Oh - 'fore I forget, 'Ro wants you an' yer pack over fer dinner. Sounds good, I'll tell her.

Goodbye, Warren. Don't do nothin' stupid. I'd hate t' have t' go t' that smelly settlement an' deliver th' message personally. Likely take me a week t' get th' stink back outta my nose.


End file.
